It seems like the older I get, the less I want to play massive video games.
I donít have the desire or patience for a game that requires entire days of my life
to play.
And thatís one of the countless reasons I find myself turning to the App Store more
and more to scratch my gaming itch.
But as awesome as gaming has gotten on iOS devicesóas convenient as it is, as inventive
as the games are becomingóitís still not perfect.
What this unique platform giveth in terms of control innovation, it also taketh away.
And even in a world of touch screens and gyroscopes...sometimes, you just need a button.
I donít want to say this game shatters that paradigm.
I canít tell you this wouldnít be better with an old-fashioned d-pad or analog stick.
But what I can say is Little Acorn plays better without them than almost any other platformer
Iíve ever played.
That takes nuts.
Funny thing for a game that claims to have small ones.
Just released to the App Store, Little Acorns is about as old-school as it gets.
You platform, you collect stuff, you find the exit.
These gameplay concepts have always been the foundation of this industry, and the game
uses them with a contemporary sense of flair.
Little Acornsí slick graphics and fantastic controls are the modern counterpoints to the
dusty blueprint the game is otherwise built from.
You play as a squirrel.
With winter approaching, you have to collect as much food for your family as you can.
That entails navigating very clever levels packed with enemies, obstacles, grapple points
and of course, platforms.
Like, lots and lots of platforms.
And oh, how sweet the platforming is!
From the crumbling platforms to the elevator platforms and even the very layout of the
levels themselves, Little Acorns feels very retro.
It takes you back to platformers like Ice Climber and Kid Icarusóeven earlier games
like Pitfall.
It just has that feel, but what makes it great is that it also has a decidedly modern component,
as well.
A big part of that, obviously, is the controls.
Little Acorns has two buttons in the left corner for movingóleft and rightóand one
in the right for jumping.
Thatís it.
And the three-button setup actually works about as perfectly as possible.
Little Acorns plays really well, and since it runs at 60 frames, the gameplay is incredibly
smooth.
Now, in terms of objective, the idea is to collect all the acorns.
This opens the door, which allows you to beat the level.
The enemies are basically only there to impede your progress, so your real enemy is the clock.
You have to open the exit and escape before time expires, but the game gives you a lot
of temptations along the way.
For example, once the exit opens, fruit appear scattered throughout the level.
If you grab all of those before time expires, you unlock some kind of customization option
for your squirrel.
So thereís a risk-reward element to Little Acorns, as well, and you seem like youíre
always pushing that timer a little more than you should.
Itís strange to me that so many console loyalists scoff at iOS games like theyíre the scourge
of modern gaming...when in fact, so many of them are actually more faithful to the original
arcade spirit than the bloated stuff you find on consoles.
Thereís a purity to game like Little Acorns that reminds me of my favorite games growing
up.
And even without its cheap price, charming visuals and tremendous gameplay, that would
be more than enough for me.